Make Your Home The Envy Of Your Neighbours

Make Your Home The Envy Of Your Neighbours

It’s getting to the time of year where we’re thinking about making the outside of our home tidier and more welcoming and with that in mind we’re looking at how you can improve your garden. Read our other Home Improvement Articles here.

Whether you’re looking to add value to your home or if you just want it to look pretty, making changes to the outside are a good way to go.

We spend so much time, effort and money on the interior, it makes sense that the outside should match. It’s the first impression anyone gets of your home, and coming back from work each day to a property that looks pretty and welcoming is always nice too.

While some of these tips require a larger budget, others will cost nothing at all. If your home looks tired, bland or untidy from the front, here are a few ways you can spruce it up and become the envy of the street!

Windows And Doors

If your windows and doors are due for a replacement, this is a good investment all round. Not only will it make your home look nicer, but it will also make it more energy efficient so that your heating bill is cheaper. Less gas used means less fossil fuels burned too, so it’s also kinder on the environment.

If your windows and doors are already in good condition, just giving them a clean can help. If you don’t have a ladder (or a head for heights) call out a professional window cleaning company. Have them clean the glass and the frames – and don’t forget the front door!

A good front door is essential too, it provides security against burglars and adds a lot to your home visually. If your front door is wooden you’re in luck, sand it down and you can paint it any colour you want. Will you go for something classy and neutral, cute and pastel or give it a pop of colour with bright red, blue or any other colour of your choice?

On windowsills, how about hanging window planters? Adding wooden shutters can look very quaint and are a fantastic look if you have the right kind of property.

Front Garden

In most of our homes it’s the back garden that gets all the love, maybe because it’s a little more private and where we do our entertaining. But don’t neglect the front as it’s this that makes some of the biggest impact to the overall look of the home.

Chances are it will be looking a little sorry for itself right now, but in spring you can make it bloom into life. Sow grass seed to make it look full and fill in any bare patches. Flooding over winter can kill areas of the lawn so this will bring it back up to standard. Fill your flower beds with stunning, colourful flowers and prune trees, shrubs and hedges so they look neat and tidy.

Don’t Neglect The Driveway

Driveways get a lot of use, with your car (or cars) back and forth on and off them multiple times a day. Over time they can crack, they’re prone to oil spills and if your weed barrier underneath fails you’ll be dealing with weeds too. Why not consider having it resurfaced? You could have a stunning paving design installed, go with something super practical like tarmac or even consider decorative concrete. This works well both inside and out but is especially nice for driveways.

If your driveway is already in ok condition, consider giving it a clean with a pressure washer (along with any paths at the front of your home) and remove weeds. Use a weed killer first* which will kill the roots and then pull up the dead plant a couple of days later. This way it won’t simply keep coming back.

Paint Fences And Garage Doors

While outdoor paint is designed to last, it’s not indestructible. Wind, rain and sunshine can all cause it to fade over time, until you’re left with a finish that’s quite scruffy.

Tidy Up

For most of us our homes are busy: we have kids, guests and pets in and out. We’re back and forth each day to and from work, grocery shopping and ferrying the family around.

Unless you have a lot of time on your hands your house probably doesn’t look like a show home, and things like shoes and wellies in the porch, bikes by the front door, tools and kids toys might be dotted around at the front of the house. While it doesn’t have to be perfect at all times, making sure things are put away will massively improve the property’s appearance. Buy a shoe rack, and create a shoe and coat area in a downstairs cupboard. Lock away tools and bikes in a shed or garage after use. Another thing you can do is sweep away leaf litter and any rubbish that’s blown through.

Create A Welcoming Porch

Finally, a welcoming porch area will set everything off nicely. A welcome mat, a motion detector light and some pots filled with colourful flowers will all add to the aesthetic. If you plant a number of bulbs that flower at different times of year you’ll get a stunning display with no work involved- just deadhead them when they’re finished flowering. You can even get winter blooming varieties, and combined with a couple of evergreens you could have gorgeous pots outside your home all year round.

Don’t spend all of your efforts on the inside of your home, a few changes and it can look beautiful on the outside too. Make your home stand out for all the right reasons, and it will be somewhere you love coming home to each day!

Have you spent much time sprucing up the outside of your home? Let us know in the comments below!

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